I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Just perfect...

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

I enjoyed watching this film mainly for two reasons: the performances of Crudup and Sutherland and the emotional and dramatic strength of it. It's a biopic of one of the greatest wasted talents of the American track athletic history: Steve Prefontaine. Prefontaine nearly won a medal at the 1972 Olympics but was edged out at the last lap and came in fourth instead. It is a movie about promise, disappointment and ultimately loss and tragedy.Billy Crudup plays Prefontaine very convincingly, so much so that you forget you are watching an actor and not the man himself. This was made in the time when Crudup was just establishing himself as a new force and new star in Hollywood and this role certainly helped him establish himself as that. He is an exciting talent and very capable in expressing the emotions this part requires. Donald Sutherland of course plays his coach and the inventor of Nike shoes, Bill Bowerman. He also gives a great portrayal of the man who was the main mentor and trainer of Prefontaine, almost like a second father to him. Monica Potter plays Prefontaine's love interest and adds a love angle to the film, which makes it complete and more enjoyable to watch.The beginning and the first half of this film is the most enjoyable part and also contains some humorous scenes, such as the one where Sutherland exposes one of Pre's college stable mates as "well endowed", to the man's embarrassment. Also, we see the rise of Steve's career on national level, which culminates in the race where he beats the legendary Frank Shorter. However, the triumph doesn't last as he takes part in the Munich Olympics and makes a great race, only to run out of gas in the last lap and get overtaken by three men. There is a brief scene afterwards where the winner, Finland's Lasse Viren, gives a brief look of sympathy and acknowledgment to the disappointed Prefontaine and this scene is one of the dramatic high points of the film. It expresses the feeling of competing at this level and how it is to lose and win: sometimes the line is very thin between winners and losers. The direction is great and kudos to the director Robert Towne for doing such a great job on what was his only third directing job. He is otherwise known mostly as a screenwriter but this movie proved he definitely had something to offer as a director to. In the end, one can only think about how the 1976 Olympics and the history of long distance running would look had Steve not driven so fast that night.

Knowing exactly when you're gonna die, as Edward Bloom realizes in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), can give you courage and strength to endure everything else in your life. Nothing you encounter then seems as awful or impossible. But most people live their lives as though they believe they're going to live forever. Pre must have had a premonition of his early demise as he lived every day as though it were his last. He refused to "pace" himself as his wise coach Bill Bowerman attempted to advise him and as all us mere mortals must do if we hope to make the "finish line." Though Pre was not limited by conventional concerns or constraints as an athlete, he did have definite obstacles to overcome as a person. These seemingly negligible human concerns can sometimes trip up and cripple even the most gifted athletes, and Pre is almost undone by his own negligent hubris. But, as if on a divine mission, he heroically persisted in his own unique quest for excellence, for immortality.Thanks in no small part to this fine film, Pre may in fact succeed at his lofty goal of immortality, as anyone who has had the good fortune to experience Without Limits will never forget it. While it excels as a fairly accurate portrait of a truly remarkable individual, it absolutely soars as a tribute to that indomitable spirit that moves men to greatness. Robert Towne has captured the essence of the mystery of our competitive natures, of how it's more than just about winning, or being the best, or being known for it. There's still something else undefinable that drives athletes, that eludes description, just beyond the grasp, but of which we all somehow have intimate knowledge. This is Without Limits' most admirable attribute; it's subtle and graceful exploration of the human soul. People oblivious to this aspect of Towne's creation will likely find the film to be only average or even dull. That's their loss.Billy Crudup inhabits the role of Steve Prefontaine so effortlessly, and is so physically similar that it's still jarring for me to see actual footage of Pre; the two are indiscernible. Donald Southerland as the curiously mannered coach is a delight, so relaxed yet commanding. Monica Potter is very attractive and alluring as Steve's main squeeze. That Pre would die at 24 in a car crash is almost fitting for someone who lived life so fully, so intensely. But he wasn't reckless, he wasn't self destructive, and that's why his death is all that more tragic. There are so many people that had it all and threw it away out of pride, ignorance, fear, or weakness, but Pre seemed to have conquered his demons and was well on the right track to a life of genuine meaning and joy when he was suddenly cut down in his prime. It's a tragedy of epic proportions, the stuff of legends.

How this movie has a 6+ rating is beyond me. I guess the entire 1700 people that actually like it posted, and the entire rest of the world felt it wasn't important enough o rate it at all.There is nothing wrong with the acting, directing, nor cinematography. The problem is, simply, that there's virtually no story. Prefontain's life didn't really contain much drama. Some guy is a good runner. He wins a bunch of races. The end. The writer threw in a mildly diverting love story to try to pad it out, but it doesn't help at all.I was a college runner at the time this movie takes place. Prefontain was a hero to us. I STILL find this movie painfully boring. Cant' give it a worse rating than that.Avoid this one like the plague.

This is definitely one of the best sports movies ever made as well as one of the most unnoticed movies of 1998. Strange really, because "Without Limits" is an amazing story about Steve Prefontaine. I didn't know it was a biographical movie up until it showed the Olympics. So when I realized that the main character really ran like the wind and had no physical obstacles he couldn't overcome I instantly became an admirer of Steve Prefontaine.Billy Crudup, who truly stole every scene "even" in "Almost Famous" is brilliant as Steve Prefontaine. His amazing transformation into the role of America's fastest runner was absolutely amazing, and I had no idea who the actor was, I only vaguely remembered his name. Donald Sutherland delivers his performance of the decade and the very beautiful Monica Potter does a great job as well.The subtle manner in which the director chose to display Pre's life is admirable and very touching. He truly was a role model. He's a role model to me now, more than 30 years later. When he was explaining his running logic to his coach I really understood his look on life. He wasn't planning on being disappointed, he went the distance.There's one more thing this movie deserves immense credit for. It made me want to run. AND ACTUALLY ENJOY IT!!!!!!! A brilliant movie that made me think about my life. 8/10